Senator King discusses looming spending cuts

BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER)-- Senator Angus King spent Wednesday afternoon touring the Penobscot Job Corps in Bangor and discussed the need for more financial support for Maine's two job corp facilities.

As the former governor discussed the need for more jobs, Congress faces a looming deadline which could threaten more job positions. On March 1st, if Congress fails to act, a series of automatic spending cuts will go into effect cutting $1.2 trillion from the federal budget over ten years.

King described the cuts as a disaster for the state of Maine, estimating nearly 5,000 job cuts. He is urging the President to take action and call a meeting with congressional leaders.

With only two weeks left until deadline, lawmakers are looking for a permanent fix.

Senator King said, "The best thing would be a long--term solution so we don't have to revisit this every year for the next ten years and I think that's doable. Short of that, hopefully a short-term solution and maybe pushing this date out a couple weeks or a month, not indefinitely I'm well aware we need a deadline to get this done, but there's nothing magic about March 1st. And I think there is momentum now for a comprehensive solution. I would rather have us get a comprehensive ten year solution than a stop gap in the next two weeks that puts us back in the soup six months, ten months, or a year from now."

King said he has not received a response to the letter he and Senator Collins sent to President Obama calling for a deal.